Weight training helps breast cancer survivors

JPC Team

Hitting the weights provides a major boost to breast cancer survivors trying to regain muscle and bone strength lost due to cancer treatment and physical inactivity, according to new research.

A Florida State University (FSU) study, published in the academic journal Healthcare, outlined how a weight training programme can help female breast cancer survivors repair chemotherapy-weakened bodies and help them get back to living their lives.

“What we are finding is that many breast cancer survivors are very weak in the upper body.”

Weight or resistance training has been shown to help reverse many of these problems. In Panton’s study, participants’ physical functionality improved by an average of 12 per cent after participating in a six-month weight training programme at FSU.

The participants’ functionality was measured by the Continuous-Scale Physical Functional Performance Test, which is a 10-item assessment that simulates routine chores such as doing laundry, sweeping, packing and carrying groceries, walking up bus stairs and taking a jacket on and off.

Panton’s team is now exploring how other types of exercise programmes – such as high intensity interval training (HIIT) – helps women to regain lost muscle mass and possibly bone density following chemotherapy.

Related

A low-fat rice dish marbled with colourful vegetables that cooks effortlessly in the microwave. This can also be made with brown rice (which is preferable, but will take longer to cook) and is the perfect accompaniment to grilled fish or chicken.

This versatile recipe can be pierced with cocktail sticks and served as finger food at a buffet, served as a spicy starter with salad leaves, or become a light lunch when served stuffed into pitta bread with fresh salad.